Bizarre case highlights plight of raptors
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 30, 2012
Farmer Yang Haijun is recovering from a "revenge" attack by a golden eagle in Heilongjiang Province a fortnight ago that left him with 12 stitches to his head.
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Staff with International Fund for Animal Welfare Beijing Raptor Rescue Center check the injuries on a rescued raptor. IFAW has rescued more than 3,300 wild raptors since the center was established in 2011. |
Yang says he has been repeatedly targeted by the eagle because he ate its chick in the belief that it had medicinal properties.
But while Yang is on the mend, raptor protection volunteers are questioning how he could walk free after killing a golden eagle - a protected species.
Yang was attacked by an eagle on farmland on August 11 and only escaped the scene under the protection of police.
He claims this is the second time the same eagle has attacked him since in 2010 he and another villager, Wu Yongtian, took an eagle chick from its nest, fried and ate it.The men believed eating its meat would cure haemorrhoids.
It is claimed that Wu, who raided the nest, had to move from the village after being attacked by the chick's mother on three occasions afterwards.
In the latest attack, Yang was harvesting wheat in a farm in Shenli Village, when an eagle swooped and attacked. Yang took cover among straw, but said he could not flee as the bird was hovering, waiting to strike again.
Fellow villager Li Yucheng said other people in the village armed themselves with forks and went to Yang's aid.
They shouted at the bird which was diving down and sinking its talons into the straw where Yang was hiding.
But it was not scared by anyone and only targeted Yang. For 20 minutes it hovered in the sky, diving down repeatedly, said Li.
Villagers called police and three officers managed to get Yang to their car.
"When we saved him, we saw he had deep cuts on his forehead and a piece of flesh was missing from his neck," said police officer Jin Yongping.
However, the drama was not over as the eagle followed the police vehicle and launched itself against the windshield.
"It followed us for 700 meters and only gave up after we turned on the police lights and siren," said Jin.
"It was frightening as the eagle was screaming as it followed us."
Yang received 12 stitches on his head wounds.
Frightening though that experience was, Yang claims he was subjected to a more serious attack by the same bird last April.
"I was planting beans when a black shadow appeared. It slashed at my head until I was covered in blood," said Yang, "I had to run and hide in a tractor."
Yang received 21 stitches after that assault.
Villagers say Yang and Wu are being targeted because they killed and ate the eagle's chick.
On July 28, 2010, Yang and Wu found an eagle nest on the mountain and decided to steal the chick.
"Wu climbed up to seize the chick, when its mother came back," said Yang, "We ran away, Wu holding the chick, and were pursued by its mother."
The golden eagle is one of China's first-class protected species. Under Chinese laws, anyone killing first-class protected species can be jailed for 10 years.
"They are illegally hunted because people eat them for medicinal reasons, have them stuffed or keep them as pets," said He Yong, an official with International Fund for Animal Welfare Beijing Raptor Rescue Center.
"Our question about this incident is why the farmer was not punished for breaking the law?"
A local police officer, surnamed Xu, told Shanghai Daily there was insufficient evidence.
"He admitted catching and eating an eagle but we have no evidence that it was a golden eagle," said Xu.
Villagers said Yang and Wu had no idea what species the bird was and in any case were now being punished by "fate."
"A farmer had to leave his home village where his ancestors have for lived generations, this is the most serious punishment," said one villager.
An official with IFAW said that they have rescued more than 3,300 wild raptors since the center was established in 2011. Among them, 11 golden eagles were rescued from hunters.
Almost 50 percent raptors the center rescued had suffered injuries.
But He put the center's successes into context.
"We have rescued over 3,300 wild raptors. This seems to be a huge number but in fact more than 3,300 raptors are captured or traded in a single day during the breeding season," said He.
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